Marksmanship trainer and recorder



Jan. 24, 1961 H. BECHER 2,968,877v

MARKSMANSHIP TRAINER AND RECORDER Filed July 14, 1955- ATTORNEY INVENTOR I HAPOL D EEC/{ER MARKSMANSHIP TRAINER AND RECORDER Filed July 14, 1955, Ser. No. 521,959

4 Claims. (Cl. 35-25) The present invention relates to training devices and has general reference to devices intended for rifle and small arms marksmanship training with and without the use of actual ammunition.

In general it is the am of'the device to provide means for training marksman better, more quickly and at a lower cost than by practice of the methods heretofore employed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means whereby the training instructor can ascertain visually and simultaneously with the trainee whether the latter sighted in properly and correct any sighting error before the actual firing or trigger squeeze.

Another object of this invention is to permit the zeroing in or correction and setting of the rifle sight for wind velocity and other factors more quickly, accurately and economically, in regard to the number of rounds fired therefor than called for by the prevailing methods of performing this function.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple remote-from-target, and automatic means for recording the results scored by the trainee when firing at an actual target. Heretofore, any means tried for remote scoring required modifying the prevailing targets, by means of vibrating reeds, metal sectors, photo relays and other cumbersome and costly devices placed in the rear of the target and connected by means of cables, lying above the firing line, to the remote scoring means placed in a console near the firing line. In the device of my present invention no such devices and cables are necessary. No changes whatsoever are made in the targets commonly and presently used on the firing ranges. Nor is manpower required at the target to raise and lower it in order to read the firing results in the manner commonly done on the ranges.

Further, the present invention provides a device for marksmanship training whereby the student learns to align the sight of a weapon properly and can see directly before him an enlarged view of the sight alignment before firing and of the hit on target result after firing.

The present invention provides a device which can be attached to the muzzle of the students own Weapon without permanent modification of the latter and without the need of special tools.

In the drawings attached to and forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the device attached to a rifle and shown in relation to the commonly used target.

Figure 2 is a view of the sightpicture receiving tube 7 showing the bulls-eye properly sightedin.

Figure 3 is the same view as Figure 2 showing the bulls-eye not properly sighted-in.

Figure 4 is a view of the target-picture receiving tube 8 showing a bulls-eye" scored in the center of the target.

Figures 5 and 6 are views of the target-picture receiving tube showing hits in other parts of the target.

Figure 7 shows a zero-in device which can be placed on the range behind or on the side adjacent to the target.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings,

at cc 2,968,877 Patented Jan. 24, 1961 a standard government model military rifle: is adapted for use as a training device by the proivsion of attachments including a television camera pick up tube 2 such asthe Staticon or Vidicon camera tube hereinafter referred (but not limited) to as a Vidicon tube, attached to the muzzle 14 of the rifle 1, preferably by the bayonet lock 15, a microswitch contact 3 attached to the trigger 220i the rifle, cables 4 and 5 extending to an electronic device having an amplifier and power supply 6 which leads to "a sight picture receiving tube 7, to a target picture receiving tube 8 and to a receiving tube 9, which is attached to a photographic camera 10.

The rifle illustrated is a standard weapon and includes all of the conventional parts including a stock 11, a barrel 14, a front sight 13, a rear sight 12, a trigger 22, and a bayonet lock 15. It is not deemed necessary to disclose the other conventional parts of the weapon. The weapon may be aimed by aligning the sights with the aiming point or bulls-eye 17 of the target 16 of conventional design.

In actual marksmanship practice the rifle 1 is aimed at the target 16 and is considered properly aimed when the bulls-eye 17 appears as in Fig. 2 on the receivingtube 7 coincident with the circular spot 18 on the sight bar 19 in the center of the sight circle 20, which spot 18, bar 19 and circle 20 are marked on the face of the receiving tube 7 corresponding to the sight picture of the front and rear sights and of the bulls-eye the gunner sees when he has the rifle properly aimed. If not properly aimed the sight picture will appear similar to Fig. 3. When the rifle is aimed at the target, the Vidicon tube 2 sees the black circle of the bulls-eye l7 and transmits the image thereof through the circuit A, through the amplifier 6 to the receiving tube 7. The lens on the Vidicon tube 2 is preferably of such resolving power that the concentric circles around the bulls-eye 17 on target 16 remain substantially unrendered on the faces of the receiving tub-es 7, 8, and 9.

Circuit B leads from the Vidicon tube 2 to a microswitch 3 which is clamped to the rifle at the trigger housing in such a manner that the microswitch is switched on momentarily upon the squeezing of the trigger and for the instant of contact of the hammer with the firing pin of the weapon; thence through the amplifier 6 to receiving tubes 8 and 9 which have simulated on the faces thereof a replica of the target 16. A camera ii is mounted on, and with the lens facing tube 9 and with means to actuate automatically the shutter thereof when the trigger is squeezed in order to reproduce photographically the image appearing on the face of the receiving tube 9. The inner faces of tuebs 8 and 9 are coated with a phosphorescent medium of an image persistence of about five seconds duration.

After the rifle is properly aimed, as soon as the sight picture, Fig. 2 appears in tube 7, the trigger is squeezed. This causes the microswitch 3 to momentarily close and open the circuit B so that the image of the bullseye appears on the face of tube 8. Simultaneously the harm mer strikes the firing pin causing a bullet to be fired into the target 17. If the bulls-eye is hit the image of the bulls-eye" transmitted by the Vidicon tube will appear to overlap the simulated bulls'eye on the face of tube 8 shown on Fig. 4. If, however, the bulls-eye has been missed the transmitted image of the bulls-eye will ap pear on one of the concentric circular rings on the face of tube 8, as shown by the solid circular spot A on Figs. 5 and 6. The dotted spot B is the point where the fired bullet penetrated the target. It is not visible through the Vidicon tube. The spot A corresponds, when rotated degrees around the simulated bulls-eye on tube 3, to the actual position of spot B. The spot A can be made to appear in the identical position of the bullet penetration by reversing the image on the faces of tubes 8 and 9 through a reversing lens or by reversing the electrical terminal connections from the Vidicon tube 2.

The receiving tube 9 is connected in parallel with the tube 8 and bears a simulated image of the target 16 on the face thereof. Simultaneously with appearance of a hit on tube 8 a similar image appears on the face of tube 9. A small camera 10 is mounted with its lens facing the face of tube 9 and with its shutter connected by mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical servo means to the microswitch 3 so that the shutter is snapped simultaneously with the instant the bullet is fired. A photographic record is thereby made of the marksmanship results. The receiving tubes, camera and related electrical equipment can be mounted in a single console or container.

In lieu of the camera an electronic system can be used to total the score by means of a servo operated counter.

One method of accomplishing this is to cover the outer face of the receiving tube 9 with a photoconductive material in the form of a group of zones or of concentric circles analogous to the zones or the concentric circles of the target and electrically connecting each photoconductive circle to a relay so that a change in the conductivity of this circle, caused by the change of light received from the phosphorescent material in the receiving tube actuates the relay and causes a counter to score the number corresponding to the analogous target circle or zone.

In Fig. 1, lines 28 represent the rays which define the field of view of the Vidicon tube and 29 represents the trajectory of the bullet fired by the rifle at the center of the target.

In order to enable the target image to cover substantially the full area of the field of view of the face of the receiving tube a lens system may be placed on the Vidicon tube to narrow its field of view or the Vidicon tube may be modified in the relationship of its components to narrow the field of the scanning beam.

In order to zero-in, i.e. to correct the sights for wind velocity and other factors we provide a device which is placed at the rear of the target 16 or at a side thereof. This device is shown in Fig. 7 and comprises a flat circular armor plate disc 23 of the same diameter as the bullseye 17 of the target 16, mounted in a stand 24 made of armor plate, by means of bolt 30. The disc 23 is connected to a vibration sensitive switch 25, which, when made to vibrate by the impact of a bullet fired at the disc 23, causes a light 26 to flicker. In lieu of the light a bell may be caused to ring audible to the gunner. A block of wood 27 is placed in front of the device to absorb the ricochet of the bullet. A bulls-eye circle is painted 0n the face of the wood corresponding in size and position of the circular disc 23.

To zero-in, the gunner rests the rifle, associated with the Vidicon tube and the related accessories, on asuitable, rigid, fixed support and aims and fires at the disc 23 circle, adjusting the sights until he scores a hit on the disc 23. Simultaneously, the gunner observes the image of the disc circle in the receiving tubes 7 and 8 so that he can adjust the sight until the correct television image is rendered when a bulls-eye is hit, which is signalled by the flickering light or ringing of the bell.

Once the rifle has been zeroed in the trainee operates the weapon as hereinbefore described.

From the foregoing it is obvious that the trainee can practice aiming and proper trigger squeezing and acquire a high degree of skill therein prior to practice with live ammunition until the tendency to flinch when actual firing is undertaken is avoided.

The camera tube, the associated lens system, microswitch and cables can be made so light in weight so as to leave the weight of the rifle almost unincreased and the balance practically undisturbed. Since the accuracy of the shot depends on the alignment of the weapon at the instant the shot leaves the barrel, our device serves to indicate both the alignments before the trigger is squeezed and at the instant the hammer of the weapon fires the cartridge. A difference in these alignments indicates flinching on the part of the trainee.

While I have shown and described what is believed to be the present preferred embodiment of the invention I am aware that it is subject to various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a marksmanship trainer and recorder, in combination, a firearm having a barrel, a trigger, a front and rear sight mounted on said barrel, means for indicating the position of penetration of a missile fired from said firearm into a stationary target relative to the bulls eye of said target, said means comprising a television camera tube positioned on said barrel with the axis of said camera tube parallel to the common axis of said front and rear sights, for receiving an image of the bulls eye of said target at the instant of squeezing the trigger of said firearm when said firearm is aimed at said target, means disposed in said camera tube to invert said image by rotation through one hundred and eighty degrees, a television receiving tube connected electrically to said camera tube to receive said inverted image and show it on the field of view of said receiving tube, said field having marked centrally and on substantially its full area a simulated reproduction of said target.

2. Same as claim 1 and a second television receiving tube connected in parallel with said first recited television tube, having marked on the full field of view thereof an enlarged simulated reproduction of the front and rear sights, with the front sight in the center of the rear sight and the top of the front sight in the center of the field of view of said television receiving tube.

3. Same as claim 2 and the inner surface of the television tubes having an image persistence in excess of one second.

4. Same as claim 1 and means for permanently recording the position of said penetration of the target by a missile at the instant of the trigger squeeze, said means comprising a photographic camera mounted on said television receiving tube with the lens of said camera facing the field of view of said tube and means disposed between the trigger of said firearm and the shutter of the said camera to snap said shutter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 13,310 Pogolski -Nov. 7, 1911 2,042,174 Foisy May 26, 1936 2,335,257 Binks Nov. 30, 1943 2,458,448 Tuttle Jan. 4, 1949 2,520,281 Heide Aug. 29, 1950 2,587,715 Fairchild Mar. 4, 1952 2,645,037 Talone July 14, 1953 2,695,173 Sterne Nov. 23, 1954 2,711,594 Hickey June 28, 1955 2,716,234 Lester et al Aug. 23, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 841,995 France June 2, 1939 1,054,244 France Oct. 7, 1953 

